I just harvested this parsnip. Gladiator is turning out to be a great variety!

Two days ago, I moved the onions, broccoli and cabbage off the heatmat and under lights.

Yesterday, February 7, I got some more seeds started. This batch was started in a Park Seed Bio Dome.

Planted Broccoli, Cabbage, Parsley and Celery.

They are now on a heat mat, side by side with the onions – and the onions have already started coming up!

It is time to start onion seeds, so I just ordered up seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

This year I decided to try some new varieties, I’ll be growing 3 new onions and 1 I have grown before.

Yellow of Parma (grew this last year)

Gold Princess (new for me this year)

Jaune Paille Des Vertus (new for me this year)

Bronze D’Amposta (new for me this year)

Now I am just waiting!

Last spring, the gophers feasted on our parsnips and left only a few for us.

So this year I decided to grow them in containers.  This is what they look like right now, after all the greens froze.

They don’t look like much right now, but there is treasure under the soil!

And this year, George discovered that cooking them in a Dutch Oven makes for a very delicious dish!

All they need is virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Slice Parsnips
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
Bake in Dutch oven,  at 350ºF for 60-70 minutes. (covered)

So delicious!

US-made Lodge™ 5 qt cast iron Dutch ovens are available at Target for $30.

Our GoldRush dwarf apple tree finally got in the ground this year. If you have not tried GoldRush apples, you should.

It is one of the best apples I have ever tasted, crisp, not too tart and not too sweet. Just right. Like the flavor of 5 apples packed into one. Stores for a long time.

In short: The Perfect Apple

Cross pollinates with Liberty (among others)

Learn more about GoldRush here

I baked a cake with GoldRush apples today.

Recipe:

150 grams butter
1/3 cup organic, unrefined sugar
1 egg
3 large apples
1 tsp cinnamon
A little more than 1 &  1/8 cup flour (but not a full 1 &  1/4)

Melt the butter, mix with sugar and beat until fluffy. Add one egg and mix until smooth.

Add flour and mix in well.

Spread on bottom of an oiled and floured pie form.

Cut apples in slices and put in plastic bag with cinnamon and shake until evenly covered with cinnamon.

Stick the slices as close together as you can throughout the dough mixture.

Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes.

This little fellow is only one of many reasons why I grow organically!

I was just about to pick this Black Prince tomato when I spotted the frog.

I’ll pick this tomato tomorrow instead.

Today’s harvest

This is the first year I grew parsley in an earthbox. I will certainly be doing that again.

I look forward to enjoying harvesting this through the winter until next year’s harvest.

I have found a new Cilantro variety favorite this year.

I have had a hard time with cilantro, because it always bolts and goes to seed before I can enjoy it.

Late this season I planted cilantro “Slow Bolt Winner” from EvergreenSeeds, and it grew into wonderful, tasty cilantro that has not yet bolted!

This may be the only cilantro I grow from here on out!

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